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Culturally, I'd say we're Western European, although more influenced by our eastern neighbours than for example, Germany. I suppose "Central Europe" would be the best description, but you don't like that term. Maybe the German term "Mitteleuropa"?
On the other hand, it's all in the eye of the beholder. I see you're Dutch, I've lived in the Netherlands for quite an extensive period of time, and my impression is that the most "correct" term used in the Dutch papers (and even in politics there) is "Eastern Block" when referring to these five countries...
By the way, I noticed that you more or less followed geographical lines when dividing the other continents up, if you would apply the same to Europe, taking the 25th parallel of longtitude, as well as the 53rd parallel of latitude, (extreme points of Europe are more or less 10W, 60E, 35N and 71N) one would see the following definition:
Eastern Europe: Finland, Baltics, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Caucasian states, Moldowa, Romania, Bulgaria, (Turkey, Cyprus - depending on whether one calls these two countries European or not)
Berlin isnt "Eastern European". The whole West Berlin doesnt look different from any other Western European city. Only some Eastern outskirts in former East Berlin could pass as Warsaw etc.
Personally as a native from the extreme western part of Europe I usually go for distance when it comes to designating if a place is in Eastern Europe. Like to me, Berlin is basically on the other half of Europe so it is verging right on the boundary of Eastern Europe.
I don't know this but is there a change of landscape in Europe from West to East as-well?
The first one is the historical one, and it follows the boundaries of the Iron Curtain. The Eastern European countries are the young democracies with emerging economies. Still lower standards of living than in the west, and sometimes problems with human rights.
The second one is the modern one. Eastern Europe are the countries not being part of the 'European core'. So the boundary goes east of Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. For Romania and Bulgaria I'm uncertain, these seem much less "west" or "central" than Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia.
So, my answer would be: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia are Central Europe. The Baltic States Northern Europe. Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia Eastern Europe. Romania and Bulgaria Southeastern Europe.
I will never consider those countries Western European. It is an insult to us to call them Western Europe, they don't have the history and culture that we have developed over the past centuries.
Not Strathclyde as a whole, but fairly recently there were reports of districts of Glasgow and Paisley which have life expectancies in the mid-50's and unemployment in the 50-75 percent range. Nowhere in Bulgaria, Romania and Southern Italy it gets THAT bad, although as a whole these regions are obviously much poorer than say, SW Scotland, or even the whole of Strathclyde. Basically, although the regions (within the EU) with the biggest problems are found in SE-Europe, the districts with the most deprivation are mostly found in and around Glasgow...
Life expectancy of mid-50's in Scotland, oh please.
You say nonsenses. Forty years of communist crap could not change previous thousand years of history. Country which have belonged to western civilization since 9th century can not be easternized just because of merely forty years of oppression.
By the way, as a Czech I am quite offended when you throw Prague on the same pile as Bucharest.
I will never consider those countries Western European. It is an insult to us to call them Western Europe, they don't have the history and culture that we have developed over the past centuries.
Ever heard of Austria-Hungary? Liszt? Pulitzer? Semmelweis? Copernicus? Chopin? They probably brought more culture to Northern Ireland than vice versa...
But when one enters Poland, one believes one has left Europe entirely, and
the gaze is struck by a new spectacle: an immense country almost totally covered
with fir trees always green, but always sad, interrupted at long intervals by some
cultivated plains, like islands scattered on the ocean; a poor population, enslaved;
dirty villages; cottages little different from savage huts; everything makes one
think one has been moved back ten centuries, and that one finds oneself amid
hordes of Huns, Scythians, Veneti, Slavs, and Sarmatians.”
Count Louis-Philippe de Segur, 1784
Iron Curtain? In 18th century?
Huns? Scythians? LOL.
Eastern vs Central, I don't care. I don't understand, why Mikkertel cares. I call his country Czechia, that's all. I don't call Baltic countries East European, I call them Baltic countries (but for 18th and 19th centuries we should use Baltic for Latvia and Estonia only). That's all.
Iron Curtain? In 18th century?
Huns? Scythians? LOL.
Eastern vs Central, I don't care. I don't understand, why Mikkertel cares. I call his country Czechia, that's all. I don't call Baltic countries East European, I call them Baltic countries (but for 18th and 19th centuries we should use Baltic for Latvia and Estonia only). That's all.
He cares because when you say "Eastern Europe" what comes to your mind? Wars, ethnic cleansing and stuff like this. We both know this debate is not about geography because Finland or Greece are situated more eastern then the Czech Republic but nobody consider these countries Eastern European.
Honestly I do not mind when somebody calls my country Eastern European but it always makes me laugh when some people expect us living in trees or something like that...
Iron Curtain? In 18th century?
Huns? Scythians? LOL.
Eastern vs Central, I don't care. I don't understand, why Mikkertel cares. I call his country Czechia, that's all. I don't call Baltic countries East European, I call them Baltic countries (but for 18th and 19th centuries we should use Baltic for Latvia and Estonia only). That's all.
He cares because when you say "Eastern Europe" what comes to your mind? Wars, ethnic cleansing and stuff like this. We both know this debate is not about geography because Finland or Greece are situated more eastern then the Czech Republic but nobody consider these countries Eastern European.
Honestly I do not mind when somebody calls my country Eastern European but it always makes me laugh when some people expect us living in trees or something like that...
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